Cross/Currents (2019) and Feast/Kansas (2014)
These two projects were commissioned by and created in unique collaborations with the University of Richmond and Wichita State University.
Cross/Currents (2019)
The commissioned site-specific work Cross/Currents was sponsored by the University of Richmond and produced and presented in collaboration with the Department of Theatre and Dance at the University of Richmond. The performance took place at the American Civil War Museum - Historic Tredegar - in downtown Richmond. Aside from the students at UR the performance also featured NOW-ID dancers: Lehua Brown, Tara McArthur and Mary Lynn Graves. Concept: Charlotte Boye-Christensen and Nathan Webster, Lighting designer and Stage manager: Cole Adams.
CROSS/CURRENTS was a 50-minute site-specific contemporary dance performance that looked at a powerfully storied place — the James River shoreline in Richmond — reflecting and generating a present-day physical power that is at once grounded in the chosen site and connected to past and future.
The Department of Theatre and Dance considered a number of artists to invite to create work for the prestigious Tucker-Boatwright Festival. We chose Charlotte Boye Christensen and NOW-ID for this important commission because of the collaborative nature of her work. We were confident that Charlotte would devise a truly unique dance piece that would activate the American Civil War Museum/Historic Tredegar Iron Works museum in a new way. It was overwhelmingly successful. Our students had the exceptional opportunity to work with a choreographer who offers an entirely different perspective on the creative process, what actually defines a dance, and more. Additionally, the impact of this commission was far-reaching, as audience members included members of the UR community, greater Richmond community, and artists and guests from other states. I consider myself fortunate to know Charlotte and to have worked with her. I am enthusiastic about her work and the work of NOW-ID. Charlotte Boye-Christensen, by her own definition seeks to challenge the boundaries of contemporary dance through innovative practices and collaborators. She and NOW-ID absolutely achieved this goal with the University of Richmond's Tucker-Boatwright Festival commission, Cross Currents. Charlotte Boye-Christensen is brilliant!
Anne Van Gelder, Director of Dance at the University of Richmond, Virginia
Feast/Kansas (2014)
Wichita State University Performing Arts/Dance presents "Feast/Kansas" also featuring the WSU impulse Percussion Ensemble.
This performance took place at the Kansas Dance Festival over two nights - November 21st and 22nd, 2014. The work was a collaboration between Charlotte Boye-Christensen/NOW-ID dancers, Nick Johnson, director of The Dance Program at Wichita State University as well as Gerald Scholl and the WSU impulse Percussion Ensemble.
39 dancers, 11 percussionists and 3 professional dancers - these were the protagonists in this reinvented FEAST - FEAST/KANSAS.
Working with Charlotte Boye-Christensen on “Feast/Kansas” was a wonderful and exhilarating experience for my students and for me. As both a professor/arranger and professional performing musician, I really appreciated Charlotte’s focus on the large picture while working together as I shaped the details of the musical composition. The process was very exciting as we all created, in only a few days time, a brilliant production. She showed great savvy by being in tune with my student’s strengths, welcoming their suggestions all of which brought about synergetic performances with extraordinary results. By coupling her imaginative choreographical direction with her collaborative spirit Charlotte brought Wichita a memorable and enriching experience not to mention some of the largest audiences on record.
Gerald Scholl, Director of Impulse Percussion Group
Working with Charlotte Boye-Christensen during her creation of Feast was innovation at its best. This multidisciplinary experience involved the percussion program, the entire dance program and her own, NOW company dancers. Billed as a 'banquet for the senses", Feast exemplified the meaning of contemporary performance. The process was organic, intelligent and exhilarating. The dancers performed their personal best, inspired by the work, the collaboration and the professionalism of sharing the stage with the NOW dancers, themselves extraordinary artists.Charlotte approaches choreography with a specific voice she has developed during her career. Invention, originality and current are the descriptions of her process that immediately come to mind. Collaboration was easy, patient and visionary. We all grew from this remarkable 'dinner date' and look forward to a repeat effort in our near future.
Nicholas Johnson, Director of Dance at Wichita State University